Guardians Top Prospect Headlines 2025 RubberDucks Season Preview

Photo via Akron RubberDucks

Baseball is back in Akron, and this year’s RubberDucks squad might be the most exciting one yet!

The Akron RubberDucks, the Cleveland Guardians Double-A affiliate, open the 2025 season on Friday, April 4th in Richmond, Virginia against Eastern League divisional opponent, the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Travis Bazzana, the Guardians’ first overall pick and MLB’s #9 overall prospect, will make his debut in an Akron uniform, giving Northeast Ohio fans a glimpse of their future star.

Akron had the best regular season record in the Eastern League last year with 80 wins and 58 losses, setting the stage for what promises to be another thrilling season. The Ducks will look to improve on their head-to-head record against their opening day opponent after a disappointing 4-9 mark at Richmond last season.

A total of 12 teams make up the Eastern League; those teams are divided into two divisions of six teams each. The RubberDucks are in the Southwest Division with Richmond, the Altoona Curve, Chesapeake Baysox, Erie Seawolves, and Harrisburg Senators. The Northeast Division includes the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Hartford Yard Goats, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Portland Sea Dogs, Reading Fightin Phils, and Somerset Patriots. You’ve got to love minor league baseball team names!

The 2025 schedule for the RubberDucks is heavily weighted toward teams in their division. They’ll play a total of 138 games with 96 of those coming against divisional rivals. The only Eastern League teams not coming to Akron this year are Hartford, Portland, and Reading.

Rising Stars

The initial 2025 roster for Akron was released on March 27. It includes 22 players. The headliner is Bazzana. Expectations are obviously sky high for the Australian phenom. He promises to be a generational talent who will bat toward the top of Cleveland’s lineup and play second base for many years to come. Last year in his first taste of pro ball, Bazzana logged 101 at-bats at High-A Lake County. His final slash line was .238/.369/.396 with 3 home runs, 12 RBI, and 5 stolen bases. He’ll have a full season of action in 2025 to further his development, and he could reach the big leagues by season’s end if he excels, and the Guardians have a role for him to fill.

But Bazzana isn’t the only future Guardian worth watching in Akron this year. Here are five more prospects to keep an eye on:

Angel Genao, Shortstop

MLB.com Guardians Prospect Ranking: #4

For some, Genao is right behind Bazzana as the Guardians #2 prospect. Currently, he is dealing with an injury and may begin the year at Lake County, but once healthy and in Akron, Genao and Bazzana will form quite a duo up the middle. Genao has already shown the potential to be a five-tool player – speed, fielding, throwing arm strength, and hitting for average and power. In a combined 110 games across Lynchburg and Lake County last year, Genao slashed .330/.379/.499 with 10 home runs, 71 RBI, and 25 steals.

 

Cooper Ingle, Catcher

MLB.com Guardians Prospect Ranking: #7

Ingle impressed in his first full season of pro ball last year at Lake County and Akron. What especially stood out was his ability to get on base. His OBP (On Base Percentage) was .419, which is elite – ranking 7th overall in MiLB. He had more walks (65) than strikeouts (56) and also added 11 home runs with a handsome .305 batting average.

 

CJ Kayfus, First Base

MLB.com Guardians Prospect Ranking: #8

Last year was also the first full season of pro ball for Kayfus and he impressed as well. He batted .291 with 17 home runs and 92 RBI in 107 games across Lake County and Akron. His OPS (On Base + Slugging Percentage) was .904, which ranked 14th overall in MiLB. To understand how good that is, Cleveland’s All-Star José Ramírez had an .872 OPS last year. Kayfus is no José Ramirez, but it does provide some perspective on his skill level and potential.

 

Austin Peterson, Pitcher

MLB.com Guardians Prospect Ranking: #30

Drafted in the 9th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Peterson turned heads in 2024 with a remarkable season across Lake County and Akron. The 6-foot-6 right-hander posted a 2.64 ERA over 160 innings and showed pinpoint control – only issuing 21 walks the entire season! Peterson uses his towering frame to create deception and extension, making him one of the Guardians fastest risers.

 

Aaron Davenport, Pitcher

MLB.com Guardians Prospect Ranking: Not Ranked

Davenport spent all of 2024 with the RubberDucks. He made 26 starts and logged a total of 142.1 innings. His ERA (Earned Run Average) was a miniscule 2.85 and it was accompanied by a strong 1.18 WHIP (Walks + Hits per Inning Pitched). Davenport also averaged nearly one strikeout per inning (8.54 K/9). According to Prospects1500, he is currently the Guardians #31 ranked prospect. With a strong start to the 2025 campaign, Davenport is likely to get a promotion to Triple-A Columbus.

 

Coaching Staff

Returning to the RubberDucks for a second year is manager Greg DiCenzo. This is his fifth year in the Guardians organization. Alongside DiCenzo from the 2024 coaching staff are Jordan Becker (Hitting Coach), Michael Poole (Pitching Coach), Derrik Diaz (Athletic Trainer), Karina Gonzalez (Assistant Athletic Trainer), Mo Cuevas (Strength & Conditioning Coach), and Seth Caddell (Development Coach). New arrivals to the staff in 2025 are Ian Forster (Hitting Coach), Kevin Erminio (Pitching Coach), and Marc Mumper (Bench Coach).

 

Come to the Game!

Whether you’re a die-hard prospect watcher or just looking for affordable family fun, the 2025 RubberDucks season promises something for everyone. Akron’s home opener is Tuesday, April 8th against Altoona. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m. with fireworks post-game. Click HERE for a full rundown of the promotional schedule for home games this season.

Tickets can be purchased by calling (330) 253-5151 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, or visit akronrubberducks.com. For more information, follow the RubberDucks on Facebook at facebook.com/AkronRubberDucks, or on X @AkronRubberDuck, and Instagram @AkronRubberDucks.

Hope to see you at Canal Park (300 S. Main St., Akron) this season. Quack, quack!

 

 

 

J.W. Mulpas resides in Northeast Ohio and is a lifelong Cleveland sports fan. His favorite baseball player of all-time is Indians legend and 2018 Hall of Fame inductee, Jim Thome. He enjoys playing Fantasy Baseball, especially dynasty leagues. J.W. is the creator of BaseballBoxscore.com and is also a contributor at Prospects1500.com. You can follow him on X @BBoxscore.